Thank You For Saving My Life
by timelordroots
Summary: Hermione has a terrible encounter with the Black Lake, but someone is there to save her, and this blossoms a new friendship. Fred/Hermione, decided to keep it a one-shot.


**UPDATE: **I've decided to keep this a one-shot, turns out I really am non-committal and I don't want to keep you guys hanging. So, yup. I'm sorry!

Hermione longingly watched the Giant Squid frolic freely in the water, who was oblivious to the world. She pleaded to live that life. With not a care in the world. Completely the opposite of her life.

She downcast her eyes and stared at the ripples of the water from her perch on the shore, sitting cross-legged with her elbows propped on her knees and head in hands on an oversized rock. Whenever she felt the need to think, or just get away from it all for a while, Hermione would come to the Black Lake.

It would remind her of the tiny pond that was homed in the forest behind her house. She found the fish that took residence in the pond amazingly interesting. Hermione would always visit them with her books when she was little, being quite content on reading while watching them swim about lazily. The lake seemed to be the extensive substitute for when she resided at Hogwarts.

Hermione, feeling the need to get a closer look at the water, stood up and tentatively walked closer to the shallow water. Being close gave her the urge to just run her feet through the waters, as she sometimes did as a child with the pond. Lured by the serene, picturesque water, she took her shoes off and threw them aside, having a pleasant feeling as the bitter cold water rushed through her feet abruptly. It faded away as she dug her feet deep into the damp sand, feeling tiny seashells and clumps of sand in between her toes. Hermione closed her eyes at the wonderful feeling, and unknowingly walked further into the depths of the lake. Once at the water reached up to her knees, she stopped and stood there, watching the beautiful view, breathing in the salt water smell.

Not realizing her eyes were closed again, her eyes popped open when a huge wave of wind blast from behind her, pushing her forward into the lake and farther in. She couldn't feel the lake bottom anymore, and her feet were moving frantically for common ground. Her hands instinctively moved to her pocket to find her wand, but found that she must've dropped it. Not good.

The light from the sun was slowly fading away, and she knew she was going deeper and deeper into the lake. She fought valiantly not to scream, knowing that it was useless and her air was running out. Hermione fought to swim back up, but soon something latched onto her ankles and wrists. Something green with long fingers...

Grindylows. Hermione's eyes widened and fought against it with what she could. The grasp of the creature was strong. She was trying to remember what she learned about the vile creatures when reading while simultaneously trying to break free.

Break free. She just needed to break their grip. Hermione tried to break free, but too many of them were gaining her. There were so many, and Hermione felt all hope lose. Grindylows would kill her.

She screamed with what air she had left before she saw a bright, red light and all the holds of the creatures on her vanished. She felt water speeding past her as the Grindylows sped away from her. Feeling lightheaded and airless, Hermione felt the world go black, but not before she caught a glimpse of her savior, who had bright red hair.

Hermione woke up, feeling warm and unnaturally comfortable. There was something soft under her head and a blanket over her body. The memories of the recent events flooded her mind and she sat up quickly, taking in her surroundings of the Hospital Wing, and her wand grasped securely in her hands. Her mind was racing with thoughts that she didn't realize a hand letting go of hers.

"Oh, Miss Granger! You're awake!" Madam Pomfrey said, crossing the room quickly from her office. She quickly gave Hermione a potion to relieve her of her splitting headache and gently laid her head back down on the pillow. Hermione was too caught up in the questions she was aching to ask to notice someone was sitting next to her.

"Your friends and parents were here a bit earlier, but your parents had to go, seeing as they had jobs to attend." She said, completing ignoring telling Hermione what happened.

"What-" Hermione started to ask, but not before torpedoes of black and red sped towards her bed.

"HERMIONE!" Numerous people yelled simultaneously, earning a "shush" from Madam Pomfrey, and a wince from Hermione, who was still fighting a headache.

She darted her eyes from person to person: Harry, Ron, Ginny, George, and Mrs. Weasley. There seemed to be one missing Weasley standing in front of her. Hermione looked around and, in shock, realized who was sitting next to her bed, Fred, whose ears were red as cherries but smiling cheekily. Hermione's eyebrows knit in confusion, but then soon hit the revelation that that was the hand that left hers, leaving hers feeling colder than it was.

Madam Pomfrey, finding it useless to try and contain the Weasleys and Harry, shook her head and retreated to her office.

"Hermione, my dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, closing in on her. "Your parents and Arthur were here earlier, but they had to leave for their jobs! Oh my, are you okay? We've all been worried sick and have been camping outside the Hospital Wing!"

"Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let _any _of us in," Harry muttered, annoyed but with his green eyes still bright with joy.

"You were attacked by Grindylows!" Ginny said incredulously, eyes wide and worried. Everyone flared up with questions that it was hard to keep up, but Hermione couldn't help but smile at everyone's ramblings.

"How did you even get down there?"

"We were all so worried!"

"How did it happen?"

"Grindylows, Merlin!"

"You would've _died_!" Ron exclaimed loudly, sounding like he just figured it out. Hermione smiled at her friend and said, "Yes, thanks for alerting me, Ronald." The tension in the room disappeared for a minute as everyone laughed.

"Well, you know, if Fred hadn't saved you." Ron said, silencing the last laughs, making everyone turn their heads to look at Fred.

Upon being addressed for the first time in the conversation, Fred darted his eyes back and forth around everyone before resting on Hermione's, giving a sincere and small pursed smile. Hermione's eyes widened at this new piece of information, and couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

"We should leave these two kids alone." George suggested after a long silence, already herding everyone out the door before they could protest. "This is going to be as awkward as it is." The door shut loudly behind them, and the clamoring of the remaining Weasleys and Harry slowly faded as they went farther down the hallway.

Hermione watched Fred staring at the ground intensely and was at a loss for words at the lack of confidence from the always overly-confident Fred Weasley. When no words could be emitted from either party, Hermione broke the silence when she grabbed Fred's hand, forcing him to look at her.

"You…" Hermione trailed off, searching in his eyes for any type of emotion.

Fred gave a small, barely visible nod; his ears still flared red, and spoke for the first time. "I was on my way to have some… fun… with the Giant Squid," He said, showing his pockets filled with his prank sweets, smiling a bit, "Then I saw you, and the whole episode unraveled."

"Oh." Was all Hermione could say.

"Well, yeah. 'Oh' is all you say to someone who saved your life." Fred said cheekily, smiling widely now. She found herself smiling back. Fred's smile just seemed to be so infectious.

They both fell into comfortable silence.

Hermione's mind was swarmed with thoughts. She could not believe it. Fred Weasley, whom she only found as a troublemaker in the midst of her prefect duties, saved her life. Fred Weasley, the least expected person. She'd be forever in his debt.

Realizing they were still holding hands, Hermione blushed to the roots of her hair, but nonetheless squeezed it. "Thank you… for saving my life." Hermione whispered, using her other hand to brush the hair that had fallen in his eyes.

**A/N: **NYAAAAAHHHHH I hope this was okay. I know I have like 2 other stories I need to finish, but I'm so non-committal. Okayokayokayokay I'll be working on Illogical next, I PROMISE!


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